Galvanic battery.



:EDWARD o. SMITH AND EDWARD L. MAR

SHALL, OF FREMONT, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO NATIONAL CARBON COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GALVANIC BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 193i.

Application iled August 7, 1909. Serial No. 511,667.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD C. SMITH -and EDWARD L. MARSHALL, citizens 'of the United States, and residents of Fremont, in the county of Sandusky'and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Galvanic Batteries, ofwhich' the following is ai'full, clear, and exact deploying as the electrolyte a caustic solution lo f soda, potash or the like, adapted to track circuits such as are commonly used in connection with automatic block signals, crossing bells' and other protectivedevices and to other ,analogous uses.

The objects of-the invention are to provide a battery of simple construction which. can. be easil? assembled and renewed, which willl` have a high internal resistance so that when the battery current isshunted the current drain willbe low, and in which there will be a very complete chemical action, and which, for that reason, -will have a long life.

A battery embodying the invention in the best form known to us is hereinafter described-and the invention is definitely defined in the appended claim and is shown in theL accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of a'eell embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof in the plane indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. A

- 'Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the containing jar which may be Yof glass or porcelain or other suitable material. l

B is the cover of .the jar.

C represents the bottom plate of a container for the copper oxid to be employed. The member C is inthe form of a circular plate, having a marginal iiange o turned up around its edge,v and it has a 'suitable number of depending legs o which rest upon the bottom .ofthe jar and hold the plate C at a suitable distance therefrom. Projecting centrally up from the plate C and passing through a hole in the cover thereof (if a 'cover be used) is a metal tube o2 which at'its upper end carries the' binding post J The container is completed by means of aperforated cylinder D opened at top and bottom which rests upon the plate C inside of the flange o. l

E represents a perforated grid made of porcelain-'or other suitable material which is supported upon the cylinder D, and which in turn serves as the support for'the zinc element F, which is of cylindrical form.

K represents the metal conductor` connected with the zinc element and passing out through the top of the cell where it may be provided with a suitable binding post.

To charge .or recharge this battery,'the structure consisting of the members C, D, E and F are removed bodily\from the jar. This may be done ,by an operator taking hold of the tube o2,-particularly that part vthereof which is above the cover and which,

therefore. has 'had no contact with the electrclyte. Then a suitable quantity of copper oXid G is placed in the container made up of the cylinder D and plate C. The structure,

assembled as shown, is then returned to the jar, and enough caustic solution put into the jar to bring its level above the top of the zinc element. Then paraifn oil or some othersuitable material is poured on the surface of thescl'ution to prevent the deteriora-4 tion of the latter in the atmosphere.v

' In prior constructions of batteries of this type, ythe zinc element has been extended down near the bottom of the jar.. f The resul-t is that after a while, and before the copper oXid is all consumed, zincate of soda crystals will form` in the bottom of the jar and upon the zinc element, and will serve to check the chemical action long-before the complete chemical action has taken place. By placing the Zinc near the top of the solution this action is prevented, the result being that the cell remains active a very much longer period than cells such as have heretofore been made. The location ofv the perforated grid between the zinc and the cop-` per elements produces the desired high internal resistance, and also serves to support the zinc elementinthe requlred'positi'on.

"Having describedour invention, we

claim :-vv l In a galvanic battery,thecOmbinatiOn of a jar, aicontainer for depolarizing agent in,

Said jar comprising a bottom plate having legs which rest upon the bottom of the jar,

said plate having anv upwardly extending Conducting stem secredthereto, a. rreslstanee oml signaturesv in the prese-nce o f two Witplate above the container,l an electrolyte conl nesse's.

taining caustic alka1i,faznc element above l EDVARD C. SMITH. the resistant' plate. said'lzinc element being EDWARD LVMARSHALLI 5 spaced a consderabledi'stenoe above the bot-A Witnesses: tom of the jar for the pupo'se specified. v GEO. W. HAYNES,

In testimony whereof, We hereunto a'fx F. J. GIEBEL. 

